Dragging my belly pan through T3. Thoughts?

[Tricky Mike]

So, I spent most of the first day on the GSX-R at the last Tony's. At one point I thought I felt my right toe drag through T3. Turns out it was my belly pan.
Anybody got any ideas? I'd like to keep from wearing a hole through it.
I'm guessing that the stock suspension and 210lb rider has something to do with it.
Here's the bike with the race plastic on it:


And here's a shot coming through 3/4:



6/7:


Looks like the bike is squatting down a lot, no? You can actually see where the corner of the belly pan was scraping...

[Crash Dummy Denno]

get on the gas more!

[eboos]

trickphoto, when I saw this thread, I wasn't sure if I had started it, and when I read your post, I saw that you and I are having the exact same problem. I am dragging my pan in 2, 3, 6, and 10. Pretty much anywhere there is a transition from flat to any sort of banking or coming up or coming down from an incline. I thought at first I was dragging my peg too.

Here is my post on the subject.

[akira700]

So, I spent most of the first day on the GSX-R at the last Tony's. At one point I thought I felt my right toe drag through T3. Turns out it was my belly pan.
Anybody got any ideas? I'd like to keep from wearing a hole through it.
I'm guessing that the stock suspension and 210lb rider has something to do with it.

6/7:



Looks like the bike is squatting down a lot, no? You can actually see where the corner of the belly pan was scraping...

Hey Mike,
If you look at other bikes from the same shot angle it looks to me that your bike is too soft in the rear. I'd up the rear preload a bit. My bike gets low but both front and rear are equal.

Of course a new spring is the better solution but more pre load should help a bit. Plus it'll help with your trail angle under braking.

Also you have ride height adj in the rear? If so crank it up.

[Tricky Mike]

Yeah that's what I was thinking... It's pretty soft all around. I was talking to PK about having him do his thing over the winter.
Here's what Racetech has to say:

FRONT FORK SPRINGS
Recommended Fork Spring Rate for Racing: 1.023 kg/mm (use closest available)
Stock Fork Spring Rate: .976 kg/mm (stock)


REAR SHOCK SPRING
Recommended Rear Shock Spring Rate for Racing: 12.21 kg/mm (use closest available)
Stock Shock Spring Rate: 10.1 kg/mm (stock)



Seems like a pretty big discrepancy in the rear....

[OreoGaborio]

yeah, i wouldn't be surprised if the suspension was too soft, however using a quicker turn-in, proper body positioning and getting on the gas nice & early usually HELPS solve ground clearance issues.

With that said, none of those can compensate for a bad suspension set-up.

[brendanp]

I had Peter do my stock suspension at NHIS last month. I have not had any issues like this on my 750 gixx. Hope I dont either.....

[Pittenger5]

I dragged exhaust there constantly till I got some suspension done, and Im a skinny fuck.

[KB]

Get off the bike more and get your knee down keeping the bike more UPRIGHT.

KB

[Nazo]

If you turn in too early in the bowl you will scrape your lower.
Even Eric Wood says that in his advanced course in the track walk.
Try turning in a little later and then throw the bike in hard and get on the gas. Your knee should hit the ground close to the curbing.
You shouldn't turn in hard until you start going up the grade of the turn....past the last cone.
Just my $.02 if it helps.

[DucDave]

...maybe add a little preload or raise the ride height a thread or two????

[Tricky Mike]

Thanks guys... I think this falls into "a little of all of the above."
I'm DEFINITELY not on the gas soon enough in 3. I struggled with it a lot on Tuesday. The motard just feels so much easier to flick in and whack the throttle open. I felt like I was tip-toeing around all day on the GSX-R. Braking too early and coasting to the turn-in point, not getting on the gas early, etc. Some sections of the track felt great, but 3 definitely gave me some fits.

[Pittenger5]

I'm DEFINITELY not on the gas soon enough in 3.

So the only solution is to stop being such a pussy.



(says the guy who races an EX and STILL cant get through 3 with any sort of speed)

[a13x]

Get off the bike more and get your knee down keeping the bike more UPRIGHT.

KB

Yea that fixed my problem with draggin stuff in T3 and T10 when I was racing my Hawk. Turns out I wasn't setup (body wise) as well in the right hand turns as I was in the left hand turns.

Since Loudon is mainly lefts, this is a common problem